#67 of Top 100 Books

# 67 of top 100 Books
The Power of Covenant Prayer Frances Frangipane

Who is Frances Frangipane?

Francis is the founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids IA and has traveled throughout the world ministering to thousands of pastors and intercessors from many backgrounds.

Francis’ heartfelt prayer is to see established in every city, Christlike pastors and intercessors, united before God, revealing the love of Christ to their communities.

Over the past decades, Francis has served on a number of other ministry boards. However, in recent years he has gradually resigned from these various boards. As of June 2009, he has also retired from his position as senior pastor of River of Life Ministries.

In this more simplified life, Frangipane is devoting himself to prayer and the ministry of God’s word.
His first book, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, was a compilation of his essays and sermons. It was published in 1985. He wrote his second book, The Three Battlegrounds, in 1989 when asked to speak on spiritual warfare at a conference in Kansas City. Both these books became best sellers.

Since 1985, he has written fourteen books including four In Christ’s Image Training manuals, which were developed for his online school, plus a number of study booklets.

What Changes a Christian into an Intercessor?

There are elements in the Christian life that mark it with beauty and wellbeing. They make a person fit for being a blessing to others in this world. They are the attitudes that call forth heroic virtues of the life of faith. Nothing shows more nobility of character that the spirit of daring and perseverance which battles major difficulties and conquers. So should we who are Christians be able to face the difficulties we meet in prayer. The blessings that others need must be called down from heaven in persevering, believing prayer.

These are the marks of a true intercessor:
• An understanding of the need of those who don’t know Christ
• A Christlike love
• An awareness of personal inadequacy
• Faith in the power of prayer
• Courage to persevere in spite of refusal
• The assurance of an abundant reward

These are the qualities that change a Christian into an intercessor.

No More Dilly Dallying Around; Let’s Get to the Root of the Matter

The administration of the Holy Spirit is guided by one great principle: God gives the Spirit in response to our asking. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was given in answer to prayer.

What we must have is absolute, determined prayer. This is what lies at the root of the spiritual life and power of the church. The degree with which God gives His Spirit is determined by our asking. Is it possible for a man or woman to work and still keep the heavenly world in clear focus for the maintenance of the spiritual life? Read on.

In the most profound picture of prayer we find in the gospels, Luke 11: 1-13, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray in response to their request. We focus on the Lord’s Prayer and fail to realize that part of His teaching is the parable that follows. It is the parable of the man who has a friend that comes to him at midnight in need of bread. Because of the man’s persistence, he is fed. Jesus teaches in the parable that learning to pray with the power Holy Spirit is simply this:

“Ask and it will be given to you.”
“Seek and you shall find.”
“Knock and it shall be opened.”
“HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE W HO ASK HIM?” Luke 11:9-13

A Sobering Reality and Warning: We Pray Too Little.

Verses for the day: James 4:2, 1 Tim. 2:8

Whether attending conferences, teaching classes or participating in church, prayer is often the subject of conversation. I hear this spoken everywhere, “We don’t pray enough!” Yet, there seems to be the fear that because of the pressure from work and the force of habit, little hope lies for a change.

I regularly talk with people who now understand the importance of prayer yet seem paralyzed to make any change. What a sobering confession and with it the warning brought. We pray too little.

Which has more importance, the call of God for our time and attention, or work? If the God of Heaven is waiting to meet us and give us the power we need to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, it is shortsighted to put other things in the place of prayer?

If we want to experience God’s presence, there must be more definite and persevering prayer.

Hating Others Because of Their Race

Scriptures for the day: Titus 3:3, Col. 3:11

I grew up seeing dramatic race prejudice on my mother and father’s side of the family. I have to “check-in” with the Lord often to make sure my heart is clean from this heritage and it has no part of me. What a terribly sad condition. It is the darkest side of the human race. How could such a deplorable state come about in the lives of people? The answer is simple, “Adam’s fall.” Cain, the first child born of the man God created, shed the blood of his brother. Can you imagine such a thing! Humanity’s love of their own people, implanted in their hearts by God, soon changes to murderous hatred.

Love of country becomes the source of race-hatred and bloodshed. God judges and tests us. He now places the races side by side to see if our Christianity will enable us to overcome race-hatred. Does it really matter what race you are?

We have a great opportunity to prove the power of God’s love to change race-hatred into brotherly love. Here’s the deal: we must pray for ourselves and for each other that we would obey God’s Word and live in the power